Participation, NOT Representation

Defining our future is a task of participation, NOT representation

This is applicable on many levels in our society, but is from a post by Carl Grant summarizing his recent keynote at ALA Annual 2012.  Carl asks librarians to take charge of our future and help develop the very tools we use to serve our communities.

This is something I have been trying to do for just about a year now and have found it quite intimidating.  How do you become involved with something so large as a profession when just starting out?  I’ve tried to focus my interests in hopes of finding smaller niches in the industry where I can be of service.  I am following the dealings of LITA and have volunteered for my local SLA chapter.  I’m very interested in standards and have been researching participation in NISO working groups, which is something that would have more of an impact.

I’m starting small, but once I become more comfortable within my own professional skin hopefully I can help to make a difference and shape the future of librarianship.